Man Brought Sex Worker To East Brunswick Motel, Feds Say

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — A Middlesex County man is charged with arranging for sex workers to travel from Canada to his house and motels in New Jersey, where the U.S. Attorney's office said he engaged them in prostitution, slapped them, choked them and threatened them with other acts of violence.

The man was identified as Jose Torres, 42. Torres is charged with two counts of coercion and enticement. U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito did not say where in Middlesex County he lives.

According to the complaint, from May 2015 to October 2019, Torres enticed commercial sex workers to travel from various out-of-state locations, including Canada and New York. He met the women through online escort websites and the website Backpage.com.

The U.S. Attorney said he promised to pay the women large payments, telling one woman he would pay her approximately $20,000 to $30,000 per month to fly to the United States at least twice a month to be his private escort.

However, when the commercial sex workers asked for payment, Torres became aggressive, often assaulting and raping them, said federal prosecutors. Torres never paid the sex workers, say federal prosecutors.

He would pick the women up at Newark International Airport, and on at least one occasion, drove an escort to an unnamed motel in East Brunswick, said the U.S. Attorney.

"Once they got to the hotel room, Victim-2 asked for payment and Torres beacme aggressive. When Victim-2 threatened to leave, Torres told her he was a police officer," according to the criminal complaint. "Scared of the possible consequences of getting turned in, Victim-2 remained in the room and Torres then forced her to engage in rough sexual intercourse, which included slapping her in the face, choking her, and calling her derogatory names."

"During the investigation, law enforcement learned that Torres has victimized other commercial sex workers in a similar fashion," said federal authorities.

Torres was arrested Friday in Boston.

He is facing up to 20 years in prison.

The FBI working out of Newark airport and U.S. Department of Homeland Security helped investigate the case, said Carpentino. The Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office also helped, as did Peabody, Massachusetts police.